I looked up again, there was a row of heads where only Carruthers' had been before.
"Hullo!" I called back. "Is the rope ready?"
"It is coming down now, old chap; be careful."
The heads were still there, swarthy, wild looking faces peered down at me. I grinned, and shouted "Good day" in Rudarlian, and they laughed as they answered me. Cheerful chaps, but where the devil had they come from?
The ascent was infinitely nicer than the descent, the face of the cliff appeared almost rosy and kind. I felt as brave as possible now, whereas before I had had my heart in my boots. Strong hands seized me on the edge; and in a moment I was up on the pathway again, with my companions each shaking a hand, as though we had been parted for years.
I certainly was astonished to see the men who surrounded us; the best that could be said of them was that they were all smiling, but each man was a walking arsenal. They were not the sort of men I should have chosen as companions for a pleasant Sunday afternoon.
"Friends of yours?" I said to Mr. Neville, and Carruthers roared.
"Not yet, but certainly I trust they will be; they came from goodness knows where. By appearances they are brigands--not that I wish to judge them harshly."
"Yes, by appearances they are, but how is Piotr?"
"I will look at him, if you will tell these fellows to get out of the way."